RATHDRUM — Ashton Sitko said memories of recent school shootings will never fade, but she's relieved such tragedies are on the front-burner discussion table.

Lakeland High students led an optional hour-long indoor assembly and forum on Wednesday morning in light of recent school shootings from Freeman to Florida.

Senior Afton Sitko said hearing from fellow students who suffer from emotional pain and what school leaders are doing to improve safety are good discussions going forward, but she'll also never forget the tragedies.

"They're still in the back of our mind," she said. "Even when office aides come to our classrooms, I get a little nervous when the door opens. Freeman is a smaller school than ours, so you just never know. That really made the problem feel more real because it was close to home."

City leaders and members of the police department and school board joined school staff to answer students' questions during the assembly.

"It was nice to bring our community together like this," said senior Sofi Schneff, the student body president. "Bullying has a lot to do with the school shootings, so we need to be there for each other. So many people feel like they're not noticed."

Sitko said that, unfortunately, bullying will never be completely controlled, but students can do their part by being kind and reporting incidents to keep it at bay.

"We need to pay attention to one another," she said. "Checking in can make a difference."

One student shared her emotional struggles due to being a victim of bullying. Her testimony drew applause of compassion from classmates.

Sitko considered it a call to action.

"We need to work cooperatively with our teachers to protect the student body," she said.

Students learned that the Lakeland Joint School District is lobbying Kootenai County for funding for another school-resource officer. Safety features such as outdoor flashing beacons signifying when a school is locked down are also slated to be installed later this year. Arming willing staff with guns will be discussed by the school board.

"It wasn't as much of a political debate as it was about student safety," Schneff said of the forum. "I do feel safer after today."

Principal Trent Derrick said the assembly and collaborative indoor forum was held in lieu of a student walkout.

"We are concerned about the safety of a walkout as we believe it puts those students in a very vulnerable situation," Derrick wrote in a letter to patrons. "Change takes time, but by joining together, I am confident we can make Lakeland High School more secure and an even better place for students and staff."